Discussions

Vaughn Vernon presents a higher order of software pattern: the Enterprise Business Pattern. Enterprise Business Patterns consume design, architecture, and integration patterns in large quantities. In this chapter, learn how Enterprise Business Patterns define the essence of large, complex, industry-standard, product-based solutions.

The article gives a good overview over patterns and less to pattern languages. While reading the first half I did not find a lot about the Enterprise Business Pattern that gave me the energy to read the article. As I am coming form business I am constantly looking for patterns that might help me to take advantage of experience of fellows and well known rules of thumbs.In the second half I find a work on building a hierarchical system of pattern. The promise of business relevance was not fulfilled. The given examples rarely touch business. They are used to form nice diagrams in simplistic examples.Perhaps the matter is more complex as the long experience with business components or business objects demonstrates. Defining the position in hierarchy is not enough, not even the first step.When looking back I prefer well done works like the book of Martin Fowler Analysis Patterns. Perhaps it is a little older - 1997  but it demonstrates, that recurring business relevant problems may be addressed by pattern. Similar experience can be found even much longer ago in the area of data and data cluster modeling, though there the behavior is mostly neglected.And, by the way, architecture and business are not always in such a clear hierarchy. Just a little experience shows that frequently the they have orthogonal relations.

Thanks for your feedback. Please note that what you read is the introductory chapter to a large book. It is NOT an article.

The introduction simply lays the groundwork for a much larger effort coming in subsequent chapters. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 address the details within what chapter one defines as "extraprise business patterns" (B2C, B2E, and B2B). Chapter 2 should be posted within a few weeks. That's the schedule that TSS requested from me, so that is what I am doing.

How can one find fault with Fowler's work? Well, not me anyway. I agree that his Analysis Patterns book was quite useful. However, it still tended to focus on smaller patterns, as does his latest "Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture." No fault there, but smaller patterns nonetheless.

If you don't mind giving TSS and me a chance to post more chapters before passing judgement, that would be much appreciated. If you consider that the book could be 450-500 pages, what did you think of the first 25 or so? Since you mention Fowler, his P of EAA book has more than 100 pages of introductory narratives. Also Gregory Hohpe's book -- EIP -- has around 50 pages of similar supporting material before presenting the patterns. I will have between 75 and 100 such pages before my pattern catalog begins.

I really appreciate you taking time to read my work, and I hope you might give this effort another look down the road.

it's true, I read your chapter as an article. So it's my fault, if I was looking for things that clearly should not be part of it. And as the subject of the book Im looking forward to the next chapters.

This morning I had some new thoughts concerning business patterns. It might be interesting to take a look at reference models for business areas. Im sure they will have some aspects in common with business patterns.

I am very interested in reading your thoughts if you would like to share them. It sounds like we are thinking similarly, because my presentation is basically about examining various business domains and capturing the patterns within.

Well, you have a good imagination. In fact I will be discussing this in my first delivered EBP (in the pattern catalog). It should be out within 2-3 weeks, depending on me and TSS coordinating release schedules.

The Word posting was not my idea. TSS convinced me that this is the best way to do a book review. I wanted r/o PDF. But I think that Floyd's EJB Patterns book was release as Word with track changes mode on so readers could make changes and then send the changes to the author (me in this case).

Maybe I can recommend to TSS that they post both Word and PDF. I imagine that any posted docs are run through a virus scanner before being posted. But maybe I should worry about the docs you send back to me! :)

Thanks for reading, and I hope that you enjoy the journey as subsequent chapters are rolled out.

Since I am working for a governmental organisation I sometimes see references to terms like "e-Government" and the Government-to-Citizen (G2C) patternWhile reading the part about the three XBPs I was wondering how these governmental patterns fit in. I guess B2C can be defined in such a way that it captures any interaction between an organisation and a individual outside that organisation, so also including G2C. But at some point you have to distinguish between commercial sites/portals and non-commercial ones.

Is this something you will address in other chapters, and where does G2C fit in your overall picture?

> Is this something you will address in other chapters, and where does G2C fit in your overall picture?

Honestly I do not have experience with that domain. With my limited knowledge it would appear to me much like (or identical to) B2C. However, as you point out I would have been off on that assumption. I would be glad to receive some help on addressing G2C. Do you have any suggestions on how I would do this?

I am not sure why TSS has not posted more of my book, so I have gone ahead and posted chapters on my company web site. The documents are in PDF as requested, and I will be rolling out patterns just about weekly.

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